Child Rights - Juvenile Care

What are the key features of Juvenile care ? 

• Children should not be kept in lock-up between sunset and sunrise.
  
• The law prohibits children from being handcuffed and the
  
• Police should be in plain clothes while dealing with them.
  
• Words like arrest, convict, juvenile delinquency have been removed from the dictionary of juvenile justice.
  

Efforts have been made to ensure maximum justice to children through the Act,

Original Text
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/police-should-follow-provisions-under-juvenile-justice-act/article6132302.ece

A training and awareness programme on child rights and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, was held in the city on Thursday under the aegis of the People’s Legal Forum, the District Legal Services Authority and the Police Department.

Principal District and Sessions Judge K.S. Mudagal, who inaugurated the programme, lamented the lack of research on why children take to crime and described it as a grey area. She noted that in present times, there were many instances of serious crimes committed by children.

She stressed the need for care and love in the family and pointed out that neglect of parents may put children in vulnerable situations.

Ms. Mudagal expressed concern that procedures were not properly followed in several cases concerning abuse of children. It was important that the procedures are duly complied with in the interest of justice to children. She said awareness of the law was essential to ensure justice. The police should be aware of the provisions and implications of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, to ensure that no injustice was done.

Jerald Mendonca, Chief Judicial Magistrate and president of the Juvenile Justice Board, said that the police should follow the procedures of the Act wherein children should not be kept in lock-up between sunset and sunrise. The law prohibits children from being handcuffed and the police should be in plain clothes while dealing with them, he said. Words like arrest, convict, juvenile delinquency have been removed from the dictionary of juvenile justice. Efforts have been made to ensure maximum justice to children through the Act, Mr. Mendonca added.

Superintendent of Police Abhinav Khare called upon police officials to take extra care while handling juveniles. Adolescent age is a critical period and children can be reformed if the juvenile justice procedures are followed.

District police personnel from the Police Training School in Jyothinagar, sub-inspectors and assistants to investigating officers, attended the programme.